Laundry press



April 28, 1953 R. P. GUDGEON LAUNDRY PRESS Filed Oct. 7, 1950 2SHEETS-SHEET l f/VVF/V 701?, Ram 7d Percy ar/ 60/7 5 147 TUBA/Z y R. P.GUDGEON LAUNDRY PRESS April 28, 1953 Filed Oct. 7, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2ni m N VF N TO/P 0m: /6 Peri 6714960 Patented Apr. 28,195?

LAUNDRY PRESS Ronald Percy Gudgeon, Luton, England, assignor to Brown &Green Limited, Luton, England, a

British company Application October 7, 1950, Serial No. 188,938 In GreatBritain May 23, 1945 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to twin type garment presses or otherpresses of the type in which a pair of tables rotate about a centrecolumn to be positioned in turn beneath a complementary press memberthis in the case of a laundry press being a press head.

An object of the invention is to provide a construction of press whichallows the height of the centre column to be limited so as to lie nothigher than the press tables thus facilitating manipulation of thearticles on the press tables and making it less liable for accidents tohappen to the operator by their hands touching the centre column.

Broadly the invention comprises a twin type press in which the presshead is supported upon a cantilever member said member being positionedon the press on the side remote from centre column.

A further feature of the invention comprises the pivoting of each tableto the centre column so that in operation the table not only revolvesabout the centre column in a horizontal plane but also moves in avertical plane with respect to the column.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which- Figure 1 shows in side elevation partly in sec tionone construction of press in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a second construction of press in accordance with thepresent invention; and

Figure 3 shows a third constructionof. press in accordance with thepresent invention.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a twin garment press in which thebase i carries a centre column 2 about which there is designed to rotatea member 3 which carries the tables 4 and 5. In the drawings the table 5is shown in pressing engagement with the press head 6. The press head 6is carried upon a pair of cantilever members I which may be suitablyspaced apart one member 1 being shown in the figure. The

second member lies immediately behind the one shown. Naturally insteadof a pair of cantilever 2 Conveniently the arms 8 may be furtheradjusted as to present the tables in the loading position, that is tosay the position of table 4, at an angle of say 10 from the vertical andsloping towards the operator.

When each table in turn is rotated beneath the press head 6 pressure isapplied in the normal manner by ram [2 to a boss I3 carried on theunderside of each arm 8 and the table is caused to rise by the armpivoting'about its pivot 9 to assume a substantially horizontal positionwhen it reaches the pressing position i. e. that is the position oftable 5.

On pressure being released in the ram cylinder [4 the ram descends withthe assistance of the volute spring I5 and the table is free to berotated from the press head 6. Owing to the press head 6 being supportedentirely by the cantilever members I the centre column 2 which suppliesthe steam to the tablesvia piping (not shown) and which normally alsoserves to support one side of the press head can be terminated immeberN5 of the scale beam type having two opposite and equal arms I! and [8each of which carries a table the angle or tilt being such as to presentthe table 4 to the operator in a convenient position during the loadingoperation.

In this construction the table in the loading position is tilted by thelifting of the table 5 into the pressing position against the head 6 bythe ram [2.

To hold the tables in balance whenpressure is. released by the ram I2springs l9 held in position on bosses 20 at the foot of the rotatablemember 3 bear at their opposite ends on a lug 2! on the underside of theedge of the beam it. Thus when the beam I6 is free to take up itsnatural position the springs l9 hold the beam in a substantiallyhorizontal position. These springs also serve as shockless buffers whenthe table beneath the press head is freed. The tables are moved into thepressing position in the same manner as described with reference toFigure 1.

Figure 3 shows yet a further embodiment of the present invention and inthis embodiment the tables are carried upon two pairs of links eachtable being supported by an arm 22 which is pivoted to the centralmember 3 at 23 and sup ports the table upon a pin 2d, sufiicentclearance being provided in the aperture 25 through which the post ,26supportin the table passes to allow a limited degree of swivel. The post2% is also connected to the central member 3 by means of a link 27 whichis pivoted to the post at one end and to the central member 3 at theother. The arm 22 and the link 2'! act as a parallel link motion andcause the table when lifted by the ram to maintain a vertical position.When in the loading position a flat 28 formed on the arm 22 rests uponan adjustable stop 29 on the central member 3 so that the table may bedropped to a predetermined position for loading. Whilst as shown eacharm 22 is independently pivoted to the central member Qt the two arms 32may be inte ral so, at h y ct as a sin le e tr y pivoted beam. In thiscase the table to be loaded is lowered by the table under the press headbeing lifted to the pressing position in much the same manner asdescribed with reference to the apparatus shown in Figure 2. Similarlyspring loading is introduced on the arms 22 so as to balance the armsand hence the tables when the pressing table is free from pressure.

In all three constructions the press head be supported by a cantileverin the manner shown in Figure l or alternatively it may be carried byside posts or other convenient supports the central column being keptbelow the level of the tables.

' What I claim is:

l. A garment or laundry press comprising a base, a column extendingvertically upwardly from said base and rotatable with respect thereto, apair of press tables, means pivotally supporting said tables upon thecolumn for movement vertically with respect thereto, a fixed press head,means secured to the base for supporting said head Vertically above thebase and laterally displaced with respect to the column to permit thetables to be moved by rotation of the column successively into pressingposition beneath the press head, and means effective to raise a table sopositioned into pressing engagement with the head.

2. A garment or laundry press comprising a base, a column extendingvertically upwardly fromsaid base and rotatable with respeQt there to, apair of press, tables, a pair of cranked arms pivotally supporting thesaid tables upon the col-- umn for movement vertically with respectthereto, each of said arms being pivoted at its cranked end upon ahorizontal pivot on said column and supporting at its other end one ofsaid pair of tables, a fixed press head, a cantilever member secured atits lower end to the base and supporting the head at its other end sothat thehead is positioned vertically above the base and laterallydisplaced with respect; to the columnto permit the tables to be moved byrotation of the column successively into pressing position beneath thepress head and means effective to raise a table so positioned intopressing engagement with the head.

3. A garment press as claimed in claim 2 wherein the said arms arefreely pivoted upon the column and stop means is provided on the columnfor limiting downward movement of the arms under the force of gravity.

4. A garment or laundry press comprising a base a column extendingvertically upwardly from said base and rotatable with respect thereto, apair of press tables, a single member of the scale beam type pivotallysupporting the tables upon the column for movement vertically withrespect thereto, the said single member being pivoted intermediate itslength upon a horizontal pivot on said column and having secured at itsends the said tables, a fixed press head, means secured to the base forsupporting said press head vertically above the base and laterallydisplaced with respect to the column to permit the tables to be moved byrotation of the column successively into pressing position beneath thepress head, and means effective, to rock the said single member aboutthe horizontal pivot when either of the tables is so positioned wherebythe table positioned beneath the press head is urged upwardly intopressing engagement therewith and the table secured to the other end ofthe single member is moved into a downwardly inclined position.

5. A garment or laundry press as claimed in claim 4 in which the saidsingle member is. spring loaded to occupy a normally horizontalposition.

6. A garment or laundry press comprising a base, a column extendingvertically upwardly from said base and rotatable with respect there to,a pair of press tables, two pairs of spaced parallel arms pivotallysupporting said tables upon the column for movement vertically withrespect thereto, each of said pairsv of, arms beingfreely pivotedat oneend upon the, horizontal pivot on said column and supporting at theother end of said pair of tables, stop means on said column effective tolimit downward pivotal movement of said pairs of arms under the force ofgravity, a fixed press head, means secured to the base for supportingsaid head, vertically above thebase and laterally displaced with respectto the col umn to permit the tables to, be moved by rotation of thecolumn successively into pressing position beneath the press head, andmeans. effective toraise a table so positioned,intopressing engagementwith the press head.

RON LD PERCY GUDGEQN.

References Cited in the file of this patent, UNITED STATES: PATENTSNumber Name Date 2,050,612 Johnson Aug. ll, 1936. 2,383,723 Kahn Aug.28, I945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 135,589. Great Britain-Nov. 27, 1918,

